Release the curfew clock! 4 Ways To Set Fair Curfew Timings For Teens

Sep 10, 2015 | Parenting Advice

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“Curfews” your teen relate this word to the restrictions forced by a military government. Even standard curfews seem bad to the teens. Teens need curfews, because they are ill equipped to act responsibly, but these should be set depending on your teen’s maturity level. A curfew is important to keep your teen safe from the risks involved in unsupervised teens hanging out in the middle of the night. You should set a clear curfew time for school nights as well as for weekends and vacations. Willingly extend their curfew for special events, like a concert or a prom, but make sure to keep your expectations clear.

Setting a fair curfew:

When you talk to your teen about setting a curfew time, they will probably do their best to avoid this topic and dodge the bullet. But, when their typical teen resistance settles, sit them down and decide a reasonable curfew with them. Make your point clear that the whole curfew thing is about their safety and discipline. Keep these below given points in mind when deciding a reasonable curfew time, without any dramatic comebacks from your teen:

1. Responsibility Level:

Keep your teens’ responsibility level in mind while setting a curfew. Your teens obviously think they are too mature and responsible, but you know better. Think about how they behave everyday; do they finish their work on time? Are they respectful? Do they finish their chores on time? A trustworthy teen can handle some freedom.

2. Who your teen spends time with:

Be cognizant of who your teens spend time when deciding the curfew. If they are with friends playing video games, the risks are few. But, if they are hanging out with people you are not familiar with, an early curfew may be fitting.

3. What are they doing?

You can make the timings flexible depending on what your teens are doing that day/night. A teen who is at a friend’s place you can trust, or at a friend’s party (who you know) can be given some few hours extra.

4. Enough sleep:

Set a curfew so that your teen take sleeps for appropriate hours. Getting enough sleep is very important. In any case, if they have to get up early in the morning for school, they should be back by bedtime. Sleep deprivation can make them act dull at school and can also affect their health.

Know when to put your foot down!

Your teens at many times will try their best to convince you to let them stay out late at night by saying, ‘nobody has a curfew’; ‘all my friends are going’, ‘you are too authoritative, but don’t let them over smart you. Instead of adjusting their curfew every now and then, set the flexible rules which give your some independence and ensure their safety too. You can use parental control apps to be aware about their whereabouts at all times. Best of luck setting a curfew!

FamilyTime helps families manage and protect their children’s digital lives.

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